. Crystal Displays has introduced the option of full custom branding for freestanding and other Digital advertising displays to give clients and brands that extra brand awareness and image. An example of this you can see below. For our latest product range which can be customised please go to: bit.ly/TNu8vY For more information and costings please email info@crystal-display.com or +44 (0) 1634 292 025. .
. The HDMI audio/video interface standard has become wildly successful. It’s the most common digital connection you’ll find in TVs, set-top boxes, Blu-ray players, A/V receivers, gaming consoles, camcorders, and digital cameras. Heck, it’s even showing up in some smartphones. You’ll also find HDMI implementations in most consumer desktop and laptop computers. No modern all-in-one is complete without an HDMI input that allows you to connect a gaming console or a set-top box to the computer so you can use its display for a second purpose. But given HDMI’s near ubiquity, you might have forgotten the other digital audio/video standard: DisplayPort. Though you’ll find it alongside HDMI in many late-model, add-in video cards, as well as in laptops marketed to business users, it rarely appears in Windows PCs aimed at consumers. Both HDMI and DisplayPort can send high-definition digital video and audio from a source device to a display. So what’s the difference? Is one display interface superior to or more flexible than the other? We’ll try to answer these questions in this head-to-head comparison of their feature sets and typical use scenarios. But first, let’s review how the two standards came to be, and what entities control them. Back stories The HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) specification was conceived more than ten years ago by six consumer electronics giants: Hitachi, Panasonic, Philips, Silicon Image, Sony, and Toshiba. Today, HDMI Licensing, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Silicon Image, controls the spec. Manufacturers must pay a royalty for including HDMI into their products. The DisplayPort specification was developed by, and remains under the control of, the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA), a large consortium of manufacturers ranging from AMD to ZIPS Corporation. DisplayPort debuted in 2006 as part of an effort to supplant the much older VGA (Video Graphics Array, an analog interface first introduced in 1987) and DVI (Digital Video Interface, introduced in 1999) standards used primarily for computer displays. DisplayPort is a royalty-free product. Fun fact: Of the six companies responsible for the creation of HDMI, only Hitachi and Philips are not also member companies of VESA. The connectors HDMI connectors have 19 pins and are most commonly seen in three sizes: Type A (standard), Type C (mini), and Type D (micro). Of these, Type A is by far the most common. A fourth category of HDMI connector, Type E, is used for automotive applications. Most HDMI connectors use a friction lock, meaning that a tight fit keeps the plug mated to the socket, but some vendors have developed proprietary locking mechanisms designed to prevent the cable from pulling loose. HDMI LICENSING LLC The three types of HDMI connectors you’re most likely to encounter are (from left to right) standard, mini, and micro. A fourth connector type, for automotive applications, is not shown here. DisplayPort connectors have 20 pins and are available in two sizes: DisplayPort and Mini DisplayPort (the latter is the port of choice for Microsoft’s Surface Pro tablet). Interestingly, Intel’s Thunderbolt interface combines the features of Mini DisplayPort and adds PCI Express data connections—but that’s beyond the scope of this article. Though most full-size DisplayPort connectors have a locking mechanism that prevents them from being disconnected accidentally, the official spec does not require that feature. You’ll find HDMI Type D micro connectors on some smartphones and tablets, but no manufacturer aside from Microsoft puts even Mini DisplayPort on its handheld devices. The locking connector common to full-size DisplayPort connectors, on the other hand, is a great feature that appears on only a few HDMI Type A cables. The cables The biggest problem with HDMI cable standards is that there are four of them, all of which were finalized only in 2010. Many, many older cables are not adequately labeled to identify their capabilities. Using an HDMI cable that isn’t up to a particular task can yield problems including visual and audio glitches, artifacts, and audio/video synchronization problems. Here are details on the four types of HDMI cables: Standard HDMI Cable: Provides sufficient bandwidth for only 720p and 1080i resolution video. Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet: Has the same bandwidth, but adds support for 100-mbps ethernet. High Speed HDMI Cable: Provides more bandwidth, and can carry video with a resolution of 1080p or higher (up to 4096 by 2160, but at a maximum refresh rate of just 24Hz, which is fine for movies, but terrible for games). This type of cable can also handle 3D video. High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet: Supports the same resolutions as High Speed HDMI Cable, as well as 3D, and adds support for 100-mbps ethernet. Be sure to buy High Speed HDMI Cable connectors if you intend to send 1080p video from your PC or Blu-ray player to a display (ethernet is optional). All four types of HDMI cables have a feature called the Audio Return Channel (ARC) that can send the audio from the TV tuner in your HDTV back to your AV receiver. Prior to ARC’s introduction, you needed to connect a second, audio-only cable between your TV and your A/V receiver to play sound from the TV tuner. (Note: ARC is unnecessary if you subscribe to cable or satellite TV and use a set-top box.) The HDMI specification doesn’t define a maximum cable length, nor does it state what type of material HDMI cables should be composed of. Copper wire is the most common material, but HDMI signals can also be run over CAT 5 or CAT 6 cable (for distances of up to 164 feet), over coaxial cable (for up to 300 feet), or over fiber (for more than 328 feet), according to HDMI Licensing LLC. “Active” HDMI cables have integrated circuits embedded in the cable to amplify the signal. Active cables can be longer and thinner than passive cables (thinner cables are less likely to fail when forced to make hard bends). DisplayPort cables are much simpler to define: There’s just one type! The current version, DisplayPort 1.2, delivers enough bandwidth to carry video
. With most Transparent Display projects using the Samsung 22″ or Samsung 46″ panels Crystal Displays has introduced NEW Transparent panels to allow customers to upgrade to Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution. The panels are currently available in sizes 26″, 47″ and 70″ giving companies the option to create better graphics and content which for some applications such as Museums, Art Houses, high end Retail / Branding and other applications. CDS can supply these with Media player or interface card (HDMI) solution and Infra Red or projected capacitive touch screen. These are also available in our showcase boxed solutions and for our showcase brochure please contact us. Example of the glass panel only below: For more information including data sheets and pricing please email info@crystal-display.com or call our main office on + 44 (0) 1634 292 025. .
As you can see below Crystal Displays showed a number of new displays to the visitors at the ISE Expo in Amsterdam. To discuss your display / touchscreen / industrial computer requirements please call us on + 44 (0) 1634 292 025 or email us on info@crystal-display.com . www.crystal-display.com .
Crystal Displays is pleased to offer 2 new 7″ TFT displays – the LG LB070WV8-SL01 display and the Solomon Goldentek (SGD) GKTW70SNAI5E0. But to supplement that we are now offering a new PCAP touch screen in widescren format. The touch screen has an integrated USB touch controller mounted via the Chip-On-Flex (COF) technology which saves space and cost. The cover glass is printed with a black and white border giving a very good finish and modern feel. For more information please contact us on +44 (0) 1634 292 025 or email us on info@crystal-display.com. .
. Crystal Displays is pleased to introduce one of our New Products, 6.2 inch Ultra wide stretched open frame Monitor which will be utilized for many applications including Retail, Industrial and Gaming Machines as Player Tracking Displays for example. Features ▷ Custom H/W & S/W Configuration Available ▷ Automatic Scanning & Image Adjustment ▷ Capacitive Touch Screen(Optional) ▷ PC – Intel Atom 1.6G (optional) ▷ RoHS, CE, FCC Compliance ▷ Customized Metal Design option As you can see from the features you may be sure that this model suitable for many applications due to its compact design and competitive price. If you have any queries and need further information about our products or business, please do not hesitate to send us an e-mail on info@crystal-display.com or call our main office on +44 (0) 1634 292 025.
Chief editor – Vladimir Krylov, PhD Deputy chief editor – Michael Nikulichev, PhD Traditionally we all buy TV sets for our domestic use in specialized stores. TVs differ from monitors. An LCD monitor is either a part of a PC, or a name of the same TV set but only used for commercial or industrial applications. Is there any difference between the two? Informational panels based on TV displays are extremely useful for small and medium business. The advantages are numerous. The young digital signage market has not settled on universal standards, and potential users of small-scale digital advertising networks have difficult and uninformed decisions to make. This article attempts to convince you why the choice should be made exclusively in favour of commercial LCD monitors, especially in situation when the required application is indoor or semi-indoor (for examples, on public transport stops) advertising network. Let us clarify that we are not going to discuss the choice of technology. The stable tendency on the market favours LCD technology, especially a LED-backlighting LCD. Plasma slowly but surely disappears from stores. The projection technology remains useful and in demand, but is limited to small number of applications. Therefore, we presume that the decision in favour of LCD screens as advertising indoor carriers was made. The question remains what type of equipment to select. Large format full-motion LCD monitor Photo credit: JCDecaux Vertical advertising LCD monitor Photo credit: digitalsignageuniverse.com Polyfunctionality Many functions is always good. For a domestic appliance. But not for the commercial equipment, especially for network monitors. Polyfunctionality leads to higher price. But operator of a network is mostly concerned with fast returns on investment. Thus, the number of functions of a commercial monitor must correspond to the tasks it is meant to have. For example, continuous display of advertising clips in a loop that may be interrupted when needed by newsreels or informational inserts. Excessive parts Domestic TV sets traditionally have numerous inputs and outputs so that consumers could connect additional equipment and signal sources to their displays. For example, digital output for USB, HDMI/DVI with HDCP option, and analogue: component (BNC)-1, composite (BNC)-1, RGB-1, S-Video. Naturally, there are connectors for audio signal: RGB/DVI Audio-1, composite audio (RCA)-1, composite audio (RCA)-1. Many modern TV sets have in-built network cards and modems for wireless connection that makes these TVs very close to PCs. For the owner of a small digital network all this means additional expenses for unnecessary parts and functions. Not only this makes equipment more prone to failures but also more vulnerable to hackers who prey on large and small digital networks the world over. When it comes to standalone digital signage displays an internal media player allows the user to have complete control over their content, without the complexities of networking. These work using a plug and play method, updating the screens internal memory with a USB drive quickly and effectively. There is also the key matter of security, both for your product and for your content. The owner is responsible for setting up protection measures to ensure that the displayed content is not substituted for unauthorized one. The outdoor advertising LCD monitor Photo credit: Infinitus Continuous use and warranty Domestic residential TV sets are not designed to be used in commercial environments, and as such, doing so will often invalidate your manufacturer’s warranty. Equally, if a residential television used in a commercial environment were to cause a fire or any damage, you may not be covered under your business insurance. Domestic TVs are not equipped to be used 24 hours a day and as such can suffer from image retention issues and colour fade if used for extended periods of time. Digital signage displays use commercial grade LCD panels; specifically designed for constant use. They have a rated life in excess of 50 000 hours and feature technologies designed to mitigate the risk of image retention. Digital signage displays often feature cooling fans and extra ventilation to ensure that the screens operate within their optimum temperature window. LCD monitor quality Home conditions for residential TVs are ideal: it’s always dry and warm, there is no shaking, the lighting is uniform and mild. The conditions of operation in commercial advertising are far from ideal, though. For this reason commercial monitors are designed for complex operational conditions for negative environmental influence. Display quality is everything when you are trying to get your message across and digital commercial monitors are designed to do just that. Commercial displays are brighter and have a much better contrast ratio when compared to their residential counterparts. This is due in part to the fact that televisions are designed to be viewed from relatively short distances, whereas in a commercial environment your audience is usually much further away. Digital commercial monitors also feature a much wider viewing angle regardless of the screen’s orientation; as televisions are certainly not designed to be used in portrait layout. Protection against vandalism The essential task for operators of digital networks is protection of monitors against aggressive environment and vandals. Digital commercial monitors differ from TVs in that they have a rugged metal casing and their LCD panel is protected by a tempered glass face or anti-glare, anti-reflection, anti-UV, anti-scratch screen protection film. The screen must also have a lockable compartment for the internal storage and USB port or have an internal flash memory so as the content cannot be tampered with or be affected by humidity. All this has to be taken into account when setting up an internal digital broadcasting network and choosing LCD monitors both reliable and inexpensive. For all your Display requirements please contact Crystal Display Systems on +44 (0) 1634 292 025 or email info@crystal-display.com .
. Crystal Displays sponsored the Byng Hall Under 18 Junitor British League Team who played in the British League championships in Tipton Wolverhampton in February. The team was coached by our Managing Director Chris Bartram, who was a former Junior England international, although as he says that “was many moons ago!” Chris said “It is good to give somehting back and help support local teams wherever we can, whether it be your childrens’ Football, Gymnastics or Table Tennis teams. And it’s great fun :-)” . .[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
. Crystal Displays has launched the Solomon Goldentek (SGD) 5.7” TFT display. The KTV57NNBG1E0 from SGD has been added to enhance our Industrial TFT product range. The display is compact with full VGA (640×480) resolution great a high brightness of 500cd m² and a wide temperature range of -20 … +70 ° C operating. We also offer this display as a kit solution with all the necessary cable and connectors combined with one of our excellent interface card solutions with RGB / DVI / or HDMI inputs. Clearly we also offer touch screens for this display which can be found at the following links:analogue resistiveor PCAP touch screens giving you the complete solutions. For more information on this TFT Display including data sheet please email us on info@crystal-display.com or call our main office on +44 (0) 1634 292 025. .
. Crystal Display has utilised its expertise and experience with Transaprent technologies to promote its Digital Transparent Fridge (cooler) doors to offer brands an amazing and unique way of highlighting and promoting its brand message. With captive audiences waiting for drinks at the bar it is ideal and in typically darker conditions creates a bright and really impressive punchy solution. Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=k5Tj9ubWNbY The first of many Digital Transparent Doors passes final test (photo taken at CDS warehouse facility) They are a high quality build for optimum transparency but solid design with glass both sides to ensure robustness and reliability. Slim but solid! The Door can be delivered with or without a fully networkable Media player so users can update content remotely 24/7. A number of brands and night clubs have shown interest in these as many are saying that just hanging displays on the wall are no longer working so they are looking for differentiation. Managing Director Chris Bartram said ” We have had great interest from all over the world, and funny enough our first shipment went out to North America! We are now talking to companies that have specific niches about reselling into their sectors where we are not active.” For more information please email info@crystal-display.com or call our main office on +44 (0) 1634 292 025. .
